Improvement in turbine wheels



D. HUBBARD. Turbine-Wheel.

No. 220,840. Patented Oct. 21, 1879.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL HUBBARD, OF OSWEGO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN TURBINE WHEELS.

Specification forming part 'of Letters Patent No. 220,840, dated October21, 1879; application tiled March 5, 1879.

.To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL HUBBARD, ofOswego, in the county of Oswego and State of New York, have invented anew and Improved Turbine Wheel, of which the following is aspecification.

Figure l is a perspective view of the wheel. Fig. 2 is a sectionalelevation of the wheel. Fig. 3 is a plan of the scroll-Hume. Fig. 4 is aplan of the inner face of the top of the wheel and air-chamber.

Similar letters of-reterence indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to provide a turbine wheel that shalleconomize waterpower in a greater degree than any other turbine wheelnow in use.

The invention consists of a reaction-wheel that has an air-chamber inits upper section and is mounted on a scroll-flume that has a centralaperture cor.esponding with the aperture in the lower section of thewheel. The water to operate the wheel enters the flume, and is made toassume a vortical or cyclonic motion before it reaches the wheel, sothat the wheel does not have to expend power, as is ordinarily the casein changing a directi'notion of the water-column to a rotary or spiralone but it gains in power from the application of the cyclonic motionthat the water has gained in passing through the fiume.

Because of the peculiar construction of this wheel and the principlesthat govern its action I call it the cyclonic turbine. The wheel can bemade right or left handed, constructed so as to run to the right orleft. It has a vertical axis, an outward flow, and receives the water atits center.

In the drawings, A is the scroll-flume, with aperture 0/, over which thewheel B is fitted and held by the collar b, projecting downward frontthe wheel, and encircling the flange c, projecting upward from theflume.

In the upper part of the wheel is a hemispherical air-charnber, O, thatfurnishes an elastic cushion for the entering column of water to impingeupon, and thus reduces to a minimum its friction and loss of motion.

The shaft D of the wheel is vertical, and pivots in bearing E within thescroll-flame. The wheel is held upon the flume by the yoke F, as shown.The gate Gr at the mouth ofthe flume is secured to rod H, and can beadjusted to regulate the inflow or supply of water to the wheel. Owingto the shape of the'flnme the water that enters it under a head quicklyassumes a vortical or spiral motion that becomes intensitled at theaperture connecting the flume with the wheel, and consequently it entersthe wheel and presses upon its inner periphery with the pressure notonly of the head, but also with that due to the acquired centrifugalmotion. 4

By thus making the column of entering water move in the same plane ofdirection as the wheel, before it affects or is affected by the wheel, avery considerable increase of power is gained over those wheels to whichthe water is differently presented.

By experience I have found that this wheel will revolve more than twiceas fast as any other turbine wheel under the same head and volume ofwater.

Having thus fully described my invention,I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. A reaction turbine wheel in which the wheelis surmounted by an air-chamber and is set on the outside of ascroll-shaped fiume that has a central aperture, through which the Wateris delivered into a corresponding central aperture in the wheel.

2. The within-described turbine wheel, con sisting of flame A, wheel B,with air-chamber (l, shaft D, shaft-bearing E, yoke F, and gate Gr,substantially as herein shown and dc scribed.

DANIEL HUBBARD.

Witnesses:

HENRY D. BAKER, .P. FONDA.

